MPUMALANGA police commissioner Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma reported a few days ago that a police officer was robbed of his service pistol while driving with a suspect who was to be questioned about a murder case. Immediately after the incident, police launched a manhunt for the suspect and on Sunday, 28 February, a man (31) who is believed to be the suspect, was arrested.
However, he has been admitted to hospital under police guard after he reportedly shot himself.
“It all unfolded (on Sunday) when members of a certain family found the suspect armed with a firearm inside their house. While still wondering how the suspect gained entry, the suspect reportedly shot himself.
“Police were alerted about the incident and upon their arrival at the scene, they found him in a pool of blood with the firearm belonging to the police officer in his hand.
Upon closer inspection, they realised he was still breathing.
They found some ammunition at the scene and saw a broken window pane in the house which suggested that the suspect might have used it to gain entry. The suspect was then arrested and medical personnel were immediately summoned to the scene where he was ferried to hospital, said Zuma.
Zuma said police further realised that was the suspect they were searching for in the case of murder and robbery which took place on Friday, 19 February.
The suspect was involved in a robbery which occured recently where a firearm was used.
When the suspect absconded with the police firearm, he was to be questioned about a woman who was stabbed to death in Dullstroom,” he said.
“His arrest is a breakthrough because in the recent armed robbery incident, it is said that a businessman was robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash at gunpoint on Friday, 26 February.
“Reports indicate that the victim closed his tuckshop and took a walk in Dullstroom when a suspect approached him, held him hostage at gunpoint and then robbed him of his money before fleeing the scene,” said Zuma.
The suspect is currently facing a charge of housebreaking with intent to commit a crime which is unknown to the state, illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, armed robbery as well as common robbery.
Police cannot rule out any possibilities of linking the suspect to other cases and he is expected to appear before court when he recovers.